Speeding Violation Turns To Significant Drug Bust In Rochester

Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) – A speeding violation led to a traffic stop and a significant drug bust in Rochester last Friday evening.

Olmsted County Sheriff’s Captain Scott Behrns says a deputy pulled over 30-year-old Rochester man he was spotting going over 70-miles-per-hour along Collegeview Road on the east edge of Rochester. After stopping the vehicle, Behrns says the deputy detected the smell of marijuana coming from inside and instructed the driver identified, as Grant Johnson, to exit the vehicle.

The incident report says Johnson was walking back to the deputy’s squad car when he informed the deputy that he would find enough marijuana in his vehicle to “put me in the back of the squad car.” At that point, Johnson took out his cell phone to make a call and was ordered not to for safety reasons but refused to comply with the order and started walking away.

After Johnson repeatedly ignored the deputy orders to stop, a law officer deployed his taser and shock the man twice. The first knocked him to the ground by the got back up and continued to move away from the deputy and the second shock and little effect. Fact, Captain Behrns says Johnson pulled out the taser probes as he continued to flee.

Another deputy responding to the scene captured Johnson about 100 yards away but he continued to struggle and it required a third taser shock to subdue him and place him in custody.

A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of four pounds of marijuana. Behrns says Johnson is being held on felony drug charges, along with gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor counts of obstruction and fleeing police.